Michael George

by Charles Platkin, PhD

Michael is a television and fitness personality featured as a guest and host on numerous national television shows, including Good Morning America, ABC’s The View, Fox and Friends, Entertainment Tonight, VH1, E Entertainment, Extra, Fit TV, HSN, Home and Garden Channel, and CNN. Michael has been interviewed or featured in over 100 magazines and newspapers internationally, and is a health and fitness spokesperson for Kraft, Subway, Natures Plus, Balance Bar, Unilever, Nike, Ready Pac, and Body Media.

Through years of personal training experience and extensive education, Michael developed his own unique fitness technology, Integrated Motivational Fitness™ and he created the 2–in–1 training system highlighted in his book, Body Express Makeover: Trim and Sculpt Your Body in Less Than Six Weeks. This balanced fitness regime integrates the body–mind–spirit connection for optimal energy and health, that can be done for as little as ten minutes a day. Michael is certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

Name: Michael George

Location: Southern Los Angeles

Website: www.michaelgeorge.com

Diet Detective: What do you think is the most important thing that makes or breaks a diet/fitness program for someone?

Michael: Commitment to change.

Diet Detective: What is a “day–in–the life” of a celebrity trainer?

Michael: My schedule is across the board. It starts with meditation and walking the dog or taking her to the dog park. My schedule is typically planned very tight. It can consist of training a few clients and then my first workout of the day. Usually this is an hour of cardio and stretching. Then it may be lunch and desk work or a lunch meeting. After that, anything goes. I typically have a lot of emails and phone calls to return. After which it may be a weight workout, boxing/martial arts or a Yoga class. Then I will usually have a meeting or two and a couple of clients. After that it’s home to feed/ walk the dog and get ready for a dinner meeting or social engagement. If I don’t have anything planned I chill at home with my dog and do catch up work and read. Some days consist of me traveling for Spokesperson obligations, on location with celeb clients, shooting TV shows or videos, conducting radio/ periodical interviews, speaking or working on my next book

Diet Detective: How do you get a client motivated to stick to a fitness program?

Michael: I make them accountable for their actions and everything they put in their mouth.

Diet Detective: Tell us the biggest secret that trainers typically don’t tell their clients but should?

Michael: With baby boom clients, I sometimes have to have the acceptance discussion with them. Everyone expects to look and feel like they did in their 20’s, and that is just unrealistic for most people in their late 30’s, 40’s or 50’s. We all have to accept the fact that as we get older, our priorities change, and accept the fact that we can only push our body so hard and so far before it begins to break down due to age.

Diet Detective: In all your years of training what do you consider the best exercise (not with weights)?

Michael: Burpees.

Diet Detective: If you could do only one strength training exercise what would it be?

Michael: Push–ups.

Diet Detective: If you could eat one forbidden or unhealthy food whenever you wanted without gaining weight, what would it be?

Michael: Cheesecake.

Diet Detective: What is the one food or meal you always eat before training? What do you advise clients to eat?

Michael: I typically have an egg–white protein shake with berries or some fruit an hour and a half to two hours prior to my workout.

Diet Detective: What do you consider the world’s most perfect food?

Michael: There is no one perfect food. If I had to answer that question it would be an egg white omelet with lots of veggies and avocado slices on top.

Diet Detective: Is there anything about yourself that you’ve changed your mind about in the last 10 years?

Michael: Life does not have to be difficult or stressful. Once we really deep down accept that we have no control over people, places and things life becomes much easier.

Diet Detective: On those days when you’re not motivated to work out, but you should, what’s the one thought that gets you going?

Michael: Just do the first 10 minutes of cardio! After that I know the adrenaline and endorphins will kick in and energize me.

Diet Detective: What person do you respect most, or who motivates you?

Michael: Lance Armstrong.

Diet Detective: What do you do to reduce stress/relax/center your mind?

Michael: I do meditation daily and I am a Yoga practitioner.

Diet Detective: If you had to choose a specific song or band to get you psyched for your workout, what would it be? What other songs are on your iPod?

Michael: Kid Rock. Other artists: Lenny Kravitz, Joss Stone, Black Crows, the Blues.

Diet Detective: Do you have a Calorie Bargain? What food did it replace? Was that an important food in your diet, since you ate it so often?

Michael: I eat a very healthy diet. I eat everything in moderation and do not feel deprived in any way. It’s all about changing your palette. One thing I do is I have a bottle or two of Fruit2O throughout the day to make sure I stay hydrated. Sometimes just water can be a little boring so having a no–calorie, no–carbohydrate flavored water like Fruit2O is a healthy alternative that helps you stay hydrated. They also have a new vitamin–enhanced line to help you get all the daily vitamins you need.

Diet Detective: What’s the most bodacious chance you’ve ever taken?

Michael: Moving to Mammoth Mountain after high school and before college to be a ski bum for a year.

Diet Detective: What was your worst summer job?

Michael: My first one at age 15. Watering the lawn of the new City Hall in Camarillo. It was a huge area to water and extremely boring to do it with just a hose.

Diet Detective: Define failure.

Michael: Failure is the key to success. You have to be willing to fail repeatedly, even fall flat on your face, to succeed in life.

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